Today is National Elephant Appreciation Day. Is it REALLY? Google it. Yes. It is (thanks Mom for the link! – if NPR says it’s such a day, then it must be true) and we’re celebrating here at L.P.E.

Apparently some guy was so especially enamored with the giant beasts that he began collecting all sorts of elephant things: shirts, figurines, pens, hats, costumes, etc. And then one particular day (September 22, I suppose) in 1996, he decided, “Well, hey. I like elephants so much, I am going to declare it National Elephant Appreciation Day.” And so he did. I’m not making this up. Perhaps paraphrasing the story a bit, but seriously. The story is true!

And so, in honor our very own Le Petit Éléphant and to celebrate his very special day, we’ve dressed him up and given him some sass and are giving a print of him away to a lucky reader.

Doesn’t he look spiffy?

To win Mr. L.P.E. all dressed up in his green swirly suit, write us an Elephant Haiku in the comments. We’ll choose a winner, who will receive the above print (on beautiful aquarelle 14olb watercolor paper, printed and marked in hues and tints of green watercolor marker). Once we’ve chosen a winner, we’ll (well, I will) write your Haiku underneath here:

in similarly spiffy caligraphic fontiness, and send it straight to you.

So I bid as high as I could without Mark getting mad at me for spending my dollars on more things that can’t fit on the walls of our current home. We already have two lovely prints –one, mind you, was purchased by Mr. Mark and NOT me!– a few paintings, too many photographs, and all kinds of artworks in storage waiting for a home on the larger walls of a future chez Robertson.

Fingers crossed I will be the winner! I love the little house. On top of the big hill. Would that all things align themselves so that Mark and Gordo and I could live in a little house atop a big hill looking over a cool blue river and be at peace with the world. We would eat pizzas and chocolates and play games and sing songs and write blogs. And to save ourselves from a “treacherous fall” on our way down to collect our weekly supply of pizzas and chocolates, we would bushwhack a little path that winds its way in a spiral down the hill.

Anyhoo, not only do I happen to like this particular piece, but I also thoroughly enjoy winning. So alas if I do not win, I will have to wait and bid again on one of Robbi’s cute animals, which we readers of Idiots’Books have been promised in the next auction.

CHOCOLATE! Screaming at me. OMG. I must make these and soon! I bet they’d look cute with a few holiday nonpareils sprinkled on them too!

As soon as I’m feeling right as rain, these lovely confections will be baking in my oven. Came down with a bit of the flu on Tuesday afternoon, but am starting to feel better today having had a couple days of rest, some warm soup, and a few Tylenol cocktails.

On the creativity front, hmm… well… let’s see. I knitted six more mini mittens, created a banner for my Auntie Jamie’s new Etsy shop (still under construction but coming soon!!) and had a couple visions of new projects (OH NO! NOT NEW PROJECTS!) that I hope – fingers crossed – to get started before Christmas. We’ll just see about that. AAAAAND I started planning out my digital portfolio for applying to grad school, which, I must say, is not a fun task. Whittling down your life’s work into 12-18 pieces of what YOU think is your best work… eghh. But it must be done, and done by January 15! YEEEEEEEEEEPS!

Ok, I’m off! Hopefully next time you hear from me, I’ll have my own pictures of yummy chocolate cookies to share.